Hoop Group/All Academic Scholar Stage: standout wings/bigs

On Monday, October 13th, I attended the Hoop Group X All Academic Basketball Scholar Stage showcase at Milton Academy. There were about 150 players present and games for 5 hours on three different courts. I tried to watch as many guys as possible — but as always, it's difficult to watch and get a good read on everyone.   Read: <a href="https://prephoops.com/2025/10/hoop-group-all-academic-scholar-stage-impressive-shorts-guards/">Hoop Group/All Academic Scholar Stage: impressive shorts guards</a>   With that being said, here are some wings and bigs who impressed.    Suput is a really interesting long term prospect who shows some pretty special flashes on the basketball court. The 6-foot-5 wing can shoot the ball from three but also attacks the lane and elevates above the defense with force. He's especially good at extending his long arms for crafty finishes in the lane and using his fundamental footwork to fake out big men. His handle is also very advanced for his size. The Lee Academy senior should be on the radar of D3 coaches after his performance last Monday, and I would anticipate he'll be a key cog for Lee this year. Some improved passing instincts would be huge for his development.     You'll watch Geason run up and down the court initially and think he doesn't look like a hooper — he has awkward running mechanics and doesn't look like a freaky athlete. But when he gets into the half court, the 6-foot-4 wing is impossible to keep off of the glass. He effortlessly carves out space in the paint and has awesome timing and instincts when it comes to being around the ball. His hands are super strong, too. Once he gets rebounds, Geason is athletic enough to finish above the rim and has some solid touch around the hoop, especially with his strong left hand. I'm not sure how many minutes he'll get for CATS Academy this upcoming season, but he should find a D3 fit. He does look to leak out too much and should try sticking around on the defensive end a bit more.     Williams is a joy to watch out on the basketball floor. In a showcase environment in which players are not giving multiple efforts or playing the right way, the 6-foot-5 junior is a rarity; he's constantly around the ball and fights his behind off for rebounding and defensive positioning. He makes second, third, and fourth efforts on the ball and makes the right play whenever the rock gets swung to him, whether it be quickly attacking a closeout or making an extra pass. He also has some solid post moves in the paint and was the best talker I saw in the entire gym. Strong kid who should find a D3 for when the time comes. Seems like a coach's dream.     This was my first time seeing Lysik play, and I was very impressed with his feel and IQ for the game. The 6-foot-4 forward has excellent slow-step footwork in the paint that consistently threw off opposing big men, and his strength and control with the ball allowed him to finish against tons of trees. The senior forward is also a phenomenal post passer who found dump down and spray out passes at will, making him a worthwhile option on the block. He also has great defensive positioning and is therefore a solid rim protector despite not being a freak athlete. Lysik is a super tough kid who should get minutes for Kingswood-Oxford this season and will have college coaches calling when the time comes.     Topalovic is a typical European big man, and that's a compliment. The 6-foot-9 forward has awesome screening instincts and was constantly getting guards open driving lanes with his crushing picks. The senior also showed off some really impressive short roll passing ability and nice finishing touch with both hands whenever he was rewarded with a pocket pass. He was comfortable and under control even when being hounded by smaller guards and walled up by opposing bigs. The Lee Academy big should get minutes for them this season and will almost certainly turn college coaches' heads in short order. Awesome player with tons of skill and feel.     I clearly didn't watch enough of Ndikumana the first time I saw him. He looked like a typical raw big man when I discovered him a few weeks ago. On Monday, though, the 6-foot-9 forward showed a part to his game I didn't know existed. On multiple occasions, he got defensive rebounds and ran the break himself, eventually getting to the opposing free throw line and either finishing with control or dumping down to a teammate. He showed far better coordination and balance than I thought he had, and it makes me think he has tons of room to grow. He even had a drive and reverse layup that someone his size should not be able to do. Ndikumana should get lots of minutes for Lee Academy this season and should have scholarship schools drooling over his potential.

On Monday, October 13th, I attended the Hoop Group X All Academic Basketball Scholar Stage showcase at Milton Academy. There were about 150 players present and games for 5 hours on three different courts. I tried to watch as many guys as possible — but as always, it's difficult to watch and get a good read on everyone.